


A Glimmer of Light

by HardlyQuinn



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Terra and Aqua are going to be so messed up after everything they've gone through, but ends happy, sadfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 14:23:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6523723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardlyQuinn/pseuds/HardlyQuinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short look into the lives of Terra, Ven and Aqua after their reunion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Glimmer of Light

**Author's Note:**

> I just really wanted to do a short study of what Terra and Aqua are going to be like after everything they've been through. Thanks for reading!

     Ven is lucky. Sure, he's been asleep for twelve years, but he missed the messy parts of puberty and he wasn't completely unconscious the whole time. He has his memories, still, from before, as well as blurry bits of both his time in Sora's heart and as Roxas. (He's also, he thinks, had much worse happen to him.) Lea is happy to pick up where they left off - he doesn't quite seem to click properly with Sora, Riku and Kairi, probably because they're a good deal younger than himself. Ven finds this funny, especially since he's not much mentally older than they are. He might come across as immature for his new age, and occasionally he wakes up in a cold sweat, afraid that more time has passed than a night, but overall he has it pretty good.

     Terra, not so much. If Terra was a tryhard before, he’s absolutely impossible now. He’s constantly training too hard, too long, doing too much. It takes both Aqua and Ven to force him in for meals, with him apologizing the whole way for causing trouble (“it’s no trouble” they constantly repeat “you’re our friend”). He’s too hard on himself, determined to be stronger, faster, smarter. To never be taken advantage of again.

     Aqua has it the worst. She was alone too long, lost in the dark, and her smile never quite meets her eyes anymore. She’s quiet at the best of times, distant and on edge at the worst. She does her best to hide it, and it takes them longer than it should have – too long – to notice that she’s changed. At first she seems normal, if not a bit jumpier than Ven remembers her being. He supposes having to constantly be on your guard for over a decade will do that to you. But then comes a night where someone finds her asleep at her desk and quietly turns the lights out for her. When she awakes to the darkness not long after, she screams, long and loud, a wail of anguish that rings out through the newly restored Land of Departure before she can remember, remind herself that she’s not alone anymore, she’s safe, but the damage is done and Terra holds her as she sobs into his shirt, apologizing to her over and over again through his own tears.

     Sora, Riku and Kairi do their best to help their new friends. Kairi is a natural at magic, and she’s able to distract Aqua most of the time with questions and requests for help with her own skills. She’s behind the boys in terms of mastery with her keyblade, and Aqua is more than happy to help her catch up. She’s softer around Kairi, not as alert, and the two spend more and more time together as Kairi’s natural light helps to bring out some of what Aqua once was. In an ironic twist of fate, Riku is now everything Terra had wanted to be, and he devotes all of his time and energy to accomplishing Mastery with renewed vigor. Riku is a patient teacher, and cringingly uses his own stories of wrong-doing to help pull Terra away from the brink of darkness that his thoughts of self-loathing keep driving him to. Riku knows what it is to not have control of your own body, and Terra slowly comes to believe that his past does not need to be his defining feature. Within weeks, he is practicing forms in both light and darkness, carefully balancing on the fine line between the two that Riku has learned to tread.

     Sora is as carefree as ever, and Ven finds himself keeping him and Lea company most days, either training together or watching the others train during their frequent breaks. Sora is proud of his friends, and gushes constantly about their accomplishments. Ven listens quietly most of the time, nodding when necessary and laughing as Lea rolls his eyes at Sora’s constant chatter. Ven already knows most of what Sora tells him; having shared a heart for so long, he knows exactly how much Sora loves his friends, and is a little embarrassed to realize that Sora’s unadulterated sense of friendship/love probably extends to himself and Lea as well. His cheeks flush and he ducks his head to hide a smile, but Lea’s already noticed.

     “What are you smiling at, huh?” Lea nudges him with his elbow, eyebrow quirked. Sora slows his verbal onslaught and turns to regard Ven’s smile as well.

     “Just thinking.” Ven says. There’s a moment where Lea regards him with suspicion, but Ven interrupts any further questions. “Do you think they’ll be alright?” There’s silence as Sora and Lea turn to look at the two people they know Ven is referring to. Aqua is perched on a low bench and deep in concentration with Kairi, conjuring spells from midair that sparkle as they swirl in and out of nothingness. Riku is sparring with Terra across the courtyard. Lea ruffles his own hair in thought as Sora grins.

     “Sure! Why wouldn’t they be?” Ven has a million and one answers to that, but Sora puts a hand on his shoulder and his smile softens as he continues, “They’re strong, Ven. They’ll be okay.”

     Ven is quiet for a moment, studying his longest friends. Aqua’s expression is softer than he’s seen it in weeks, the usual frown replaced with a soft upturn of her lips as she regards a healing spell that Kairi has conjured perfectly for the first time. It disappears in a gust of wind as Riku misaims an attack at Terra, who’s grinning from ear to ear as Kairi tells Riku off for breaking her concentration. Even Aqua laughs at Riku’s embarrassment as he lets loose a steady stream of apologies.

     “Yeah.” Ven says quietly, nodding. “I guess you’re right.”

     “Of course I am.” Sora says proudly. Lea audibly scoffs, setting off a shoving war between the two. Ven smiles.

     As long as they all have each other, they’ll be alright.


End file.
